Lions safety Kerby Joseph rightfully wins NFC Defensive Player of the Week

It felt like a formality, but Lions rookie safety Kerby Joseph has been named NFC Defensive Player of the Week for Week 9.

The Detroit Lions’ defense showed up and showed out against the Green Bay Packers last Sunday. No one did so as much as rookie safety Kerby Joseph, and on Wednesday he was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week for Week 9.

Joseph had two interceptions of Aaron Rodgers (the fourth player to pick off the future Hall of Famer twice in the same game), three pass breakups and 10 total tackles against the Packers. He is the first Lions’ defensive player to win Defensive Player of the Week since cornerback Darius Slay in 2018, and he’s the first Lions’ rookie to ever win the award.

Last Sunday was the third straight game where Joseph forced a turnover. He left the game with a concussion, and being in concussion protocol his availability for Sunday against the Chicago Bears is unclear right now.

Kerby Joseph was clear winner of Week 9 NFC Defensive Player of the Week

After last Sunday’s game, Lions head coach Dan Campbell talked about how close Joseph was to having some interceptions previously.

"For three weeks now, he has not come off the field,” head coach Dan Campbell said. “We’re just letting him grow. He’s been so close (to picking off passes). The first time he missed one of those interceptions, he was about an inch away, and then the next one, he was about half an inch away. Now he’s starting to feel it. He’s got some instincts to him, some ball-hawk instincts.”"

Joseph has really stepped up since Tracy Walker suffered a torn Achilles’ in Week 3. He has played every defensive snap for the Lions in three of the last five games, and lately he seems to always be around the ball. He had five interceptions in his last season at Illinois, his only college season a a full-time defensive back, and he’s honing those ball-hawking skills at the next level as he gets an opportunity to shine.